Network Rail successfully removed Dumfries station footbridge over the course of last Saturday night (16 December).
Engineers closed the footbridge, which connected platforms one and two at the station, on Saturday morning to prepare for its removal at night. Engineers quickly lifted the twenty-one-tonne middle part of the bridge (the deck) and placed it on a trombone trailer, using a three-hundred-tonne crane. The bridge deck is now in storage until a suitable permanent home becomes available.
Over the next week, a team of engineers will dismantle the remaining columns and stairs.
The work forms part of a project funded by ‘Access for All' to provide step-free access at the station, which is on the Glasgow South Western line. Work on the project began in October, and will make it easier for mobility-impaired people and those travelling with children, luggage or bicycles to move between the platforms.
The project will finish in summer 2024, and train services will operate as normal while the work is done. Passengers will be able to move from one platform to the other using a diversionary route along St Mary Street, which will add some time to journeys.
Rod Hendry, Network Rail's construction manager for the Dumfries Access for All project said: “We are extremely happy with how the bridge removal went on Saturday night. This step was vital for the rest of the works to continue and everything went without a hitch.
“The works will wrap up on Friday ahead of the festive period and will start back up in the new year to allow us to complete our work on the new bridge, which is set to open in Summer 2024.”
“Again, we would like to thank passengers of Dumfries for their patience and understanding as we carry out this work.”
This is what other stations should have to have the requirement of becoming step-free accessible. Including at Wickford, Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford and Prittlewell stations on the Southend Victoria Line in Essex. And other railway stations on the Greater Anglia network that aren’t step-free to be step-free accessible stations.
It says it will be stored until another role is found for it. That doesn’t imply scrapping.
Perhaps a railway heritage group might find a use for it?
Access for all BAH the real reason for the removel of the footbridge is that Network Rail will no longer have to maintain it, another piece for railway heritage gone for ever,proberly go for scrap not to mention the inconvience of passengers. First step in closing the station for good